wavePod

Why You Need to Be Broke (Before You Get Rich) - The School of Greatness | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Why You Need to Be Broke (Before You Get Rich)

Wed Jan 28 2026

This conversation will shift how you see financial struggle forever. You'll discover why your broke season might be the most valuable classroom you'll ever sit in.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The School of Greatness

Episode: Why You Need to Be Broke (Before You Get Rich)

Host: Lewis Howes
Date: January 28, 2026

Overview

This powerful solo episode features Lewis Howes diving deep into the idea that “being broke” is not a failure, but a formative season in life that can teach invaluable lessons about money, self-worth, resourcefulness, and ultimately, what matters most. Lewis vulnerably shares his own financial struggles, explains the psychological roots of our money beliefs, and offers practical steps for reframing brokenness as a springboard to lasting wealth and fulfillment. The episode also features a segment with Dr. Joe Dispenza on the neuroscience of abundance.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Necessary Season of Being Broke ([01:27])

Lewis boldly kicks off, “Let me say something to you that might trigger you at first: you need to be broke now. Not forever ... but as a lesson.”
He recounts his own story of being broke, sleeping on his sister’s couch, feeling shame and questioning his self-worth.
Core Message: There is immense value in the lessons that financial hardship can teach—lessons about yourself, your habits, your beliefs, and your relationship with money.

Five Lessons Being Broke Teaches You

1. Being Broke Exposes Your Money Stories ([03:33])

Struggle brings your deep-seated beliefs about money to the surface—the scripts you’ve absorbed from parents, teachers, and peers.
“Being broke doesn’t create these stories. It reveals them for you. ... You can’t change what you’re not aware of.” ([04:14])
Lewis encourages listeners to identify their “money style” and offers a free quiz to aid in self-discovery.

2. It Teaches Resourcefulness Before Riches ([06:02])

“Money doesn’t create resourcefulness. Resourcefulness creates money.”
When you can’t throw money at problems, you learn to “figure things out,” build valuable skills, and invest in yourself.
“People who win the lottery often go broke because they didn’t build the muscle to keep it.” ([07:38])

3. It Forces You to Separate Self-Worth From Net Worth ([08:27])

“Who am I without my money? ... None of that disappears when your bank account is low. You are that already. That is your identity—not what’s in your bank account.” ([09:40])
Chasing money to feel “enough” is an endless, exhausting cycle.

4. It Teaches You to Respect Money ([14:34])

“When money is scarce, every dollar should have a job. ... A lot of people want more money without learning how to manage what they already have.”
Lewis emphasizes the emotional relationship we each have with money and how “if you don’t care for your money, your money won’t care for you.”
Core lessons: discipline, priorities, delayed gratification—skills that “scale with you” as your wealth grows.

5. It Clarifies What Actually Matters ([17:00])

Tight finances force you to prioritize, ask “what do I really need?” and “who do I really trust?”
Lewis shares a story about his friend Tim Sykes, a millionaire trader who found happiness not by accumulating luxuries, but by serving others and giving back.
“A rich life isn’t just about having more money. It’s about alignment, peace, living on purpose.” ([21:40])
“Gratitude and generosity are the gateway to abundance.” ([24:28])

Reframing Brokenness: Not a Romantic Struggle, But a Classroom ([27:21])

“This is not about romanticizing the struggle of being broke ... but I can look back on it and say that season taught me everything I needed to know to get where I am now.” ([32:54])
Lewis dispels the myth that you should stay comfortable being broke and instead urges action, skill-building, and mindset shifts.
“If you don’t learn the lessons when you’re struggling or broke financially, you’ll pay a much higher price when you’re not.” ([33:46])

The Psychology & Neuroscience of Money — With Dr. Joe Dispenza ([39:12])

Programming Our Money Beliefs ([39:12])

Dr. Dispenza breaks down how childhood brainwaves make us highly suggestible, absorbing beliefs like “money is the root of all evil.”
“All beliefs are based on past experiences ... if you heard ‘money is bad’ ... that becomes a subconscious program.” ([41:04])

The Emotional Patterns of Lack ([42:27])

Negative or stressful experiences around money create lasting emotional memories of “lack.”
“Most people experience more of the negative emotions … [which] are derived from hormones of stress.” ([42:33])
Living in “lack” fosters behaviors of separation and constant striving.

Shifting from Lack to Abundance—And Attracting Wealth ([48:14])

Dr. Dispenza describes how most people “wait for wealth (or success) to feel abundant,” but the shift happens when you feel abundant before it arrives.
“[Instead,] the moment you feel gratitude, your healing begins. The moment you feel worthy and abundant, you’re generating wealth.” ([48:14])
By focusing on feelings of gratitude, joy, and abundance in the present, you reduce the gap between your desires and experiences—drawing opportunities and resources toward you.

Coherence Between Mind and Heart ([56:15])

A clear mental intention paired with a “coherent heart” (feelings of gratitude, love, excitement) creates a powerful magnet for abundance, rather than chasing it.
“The fastest way to build a rich life is to let a broke season make you wise first.” ([35:17])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the perspective shift:
“Being broke is not a failure. It's a classroom. And if you pay attention, it will teach you some important things.” – Lewis Howes [35:17]
On resourcefulness:
“Money doesn’t create resourcefulness. Resourcefulness creates money.” – Lewis Howes [06:02]
On self-worth:
“Stop putting all of your worth into what's in your wallet, please.” – Lewis Howes [10:04]
On managing money:
“If you don't care for your money, your money won't care for you.” – Lewis Howes [16:03]
On abundance:
“The moment you feel worthy and abundant, you're generating wealth.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza [48:14]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[01:27] – Lewis recounts his broke season and introduces the theme.
[03:33] – Lesson 1: Exposing your money stories.
[06:02] – Lesson 2: Resourcefulness before riches.
[08:27] – Lesson 3: Self-worth vs. net worth.
[14:34] – Lesson 4: Respecting money, managing dollars, emotional relationship.
[17:00] – Lesson 5: Clarifying what matters; the Tim Sykes story.
[27:21] – The danger of romanticizing being broke.
[39:12] – Dr. Joe Dispenza on the origins of money beliefs.
[48:14] – Creating from wholeness and abundance.
[56:15] – Brain and heart coherence for attracting (not chasing) wealth.

Final Takeaways

Being broke is a painful but powerful teacher, not a permanent identity.
Facing your beliefs about money during tough times is essential to break the cycle and build lasting wealth.
Cultivate gratitude and generosity now—not “one day” after wealth arrives.
“If you don't learn the lessons when you’re broke, you’ll pay a much higher price when you have money.” – Lewis Howes
Use broke seasons as a launchpad to develop the mindset, skills, and clarity that wealth will later magnify.

Reminder from Lewis:
"You are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. Now it's time to go out there and do something great." [61:23]

Loading summary...

Transcript

A (0:01)

The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, including 130 million decision makers. That's why LinkedIn has the highest B2B ROAs of all online ad networks. Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Just go to LinkedIn.com Lewis that's LinkedIn.com L E W I S Terms and conditions apply. Working toward your goals is important, and so is savoring every step along the way. That's why Buick encourages you to live in this moment. To remember that now is exceptional. Designed with sleek style and purposeful technology.

B (0:44)

Every detail of a Buick vehicle helps.

A (0:46)

You show up at your best today and every day. Visit Buick.com to discover luxury that enriches the life you're leading right now. Buick Exceptional by Design A money mistake people often make is putting off working with a financial professional because it never.

B (1:01)

Seems like the right time.

A (1:02)

Northwestern Mutual will match you with a financial professional who work with you to build a plan based on what's important to you, looking out for your blind spots and finding new opportunities to help grow your wealth and protect what you've.

B (1:15)

Worked so hard for.

A (1:16)

Find a better way to money@nm.com the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company.

B (1:27)

Let me say something to you that might trigger you at first, you need to be broke now. Not forever. Not as an identity and not as a destination, but as a lesson. Most people are terrified of being broke. They avoid it at all costs. They pretend it's not happening. They hide it from friends if they are broke, if they're struggling or financially in debt, they hide it from family. They don't want to feel the shame of that and they hide it from themselves. And worse, they judge themselves for it. And there was a time in my life when I was completely broke. No savings, no real income, and no clear path forward on how to make money. It was actually kind of terrifying for me at that moment I was sleeping on my citrus couch. I had some gratitude in my life, but I was also embarrassed. At the same time. I felt like I had potential, that maybe I could create something. But I had no real proof, no real evidence of of that. And I was questioning a lot of my decisions. I was questioning my self worth. I was questioning why I couldn't make money. And I was questioning if I had Missed my window of opportunity to make money. I didn't feel successful. I didn't feel confident or believe in myself. And honestly, I didn't believe that I felt free in my life. I felt trapped. I don't know if you've ever felt this in your life where you didn't have money, you didn't know where it was coming in, and you don't feel free. You feel kind of trapped. Fast forward to today. I'm financially free. I do work that I love. I have choices and options. I've created a life where I create peace inside of myself. And money is no longer the thing that is controlling my decisions. And that wasn't always the case. When I was broke. Money was controlling a lot of my decisions. And I was doing things to make money because I needed it to survive. And here's why I'm telling you this. This is not to impress you or to flex on you or not to pretend that it was easy also. But to be clear about one thing, the season when I was broke taught me more about money, self worth, and freedom than any season when I was making more money. And it's hard to believe that because being broke doesn't just show you your bank account and what you lack and how much you don't have. It shows you your belief system. It shows you your habits. It shows you your fears, your insecurities and your relationship with money. Now, what does that mean, Louis? Your relationship with money? It teaches you what your relationship is with money. When you have it, when you don't have it, when other people have it around you. How does it make you feel? What is that intimate relationship with money that you have? And if you never learn those lessons, more money won't fix your problems in your life. Making more money all of a sudden won't just fix everything in your life. It will only amplify what's already broken. It will amplify everything. So today I want to share five reasons why being broke can actually be one of the most powerful seasons for building wealth, confidence, and a healthy money mindset. Reason number one, being broke exposes your money stories. When you have very little money, all your money beliefs come to the surface. It all rises. And this is where you hear the little voices inside of your head that say, I'm bad with money. Money is hard to make. Rich people are greedy. I'll never have enough. And being broke doesn't create these stories. It actually reveals them for you. Because they were already there. They'd already been built within your subconscious or You've picked them up from parents or teachers or friends. You've heard these things over the years. And just quieter, when money was flowing, you hear those things, they were already there when you were broke. And you can't change what you're not aware of. So quote that I share that says the energy connected with money wounds attracts similar energy to it. Something I talk about in my book Make Money Easy, which is all about creating financial freedom in your life so you can actually have a rich life. It's not about making tons of money and it's going to solve your problems. It's about healing the money wounds that keep you in scarcity when you have money as well. For me, being broke forced me to face a lot of things in my life. It forced me to face shame that I had insecurity, fear, self doubt, and really the self judgment that I had attached to money. It was a scary thing for me because I didn't understand it. So my relationship with it was built on that misunderstanding. And once you see the story of your own life around money and the own beliefs around it, you can start to rewrite them. You can start to rewrite those beliefs one day, one step at a time. And those stories shape what I call your money style. How you earn, how you spend money, how you save money, and how you sabotage money as well. And I actually created a free quiz that helps you identify your money style so you can understand your own patterns as we go through the rest of this episode. And we'll link the free quiz in the description below where you're watching or listening to this. That is the end of reason number one. Being broke exposes your money stories. And again, if you want to understand your personal money style, then make sure to check the link in the description and you can go through that quiz for free. Reason number two, being broke teaches you resourcefulness before riches. Now money doesn't create resourcefulness. Once you have it, you're not more resourceful. Resourcefulness creates money. It's never a bad bet when you invest in yourself. It's never a bad bet when you invest in yourself. When you're broke, you can't buy your way out of problems. You learn to figure things out. You learn to ask better questions. You learn to build skills. You develop skills by overcoming the fears and insecurities. To develop them, you learn to create value without throwing money at everything. I've heard this by different founders before that when you raise a bunch of money, you can throw money at problems and hopefully it'll fix it. And solve it. But a lot of startups aren't successful just by throwing money at problems. And they actually lose all their money. And then they're not resourceful in getting out of that problem. It's about learning how to be resourceful. Enrolling people in your vision, developing skills, adding more value in your service. And this is why a lot of people also who win the lottery end up broke. Again, the statistics don't lie. Getting a bunch of money is not going to solve your life or fix your life. If so, why do a lot of people who get all this money in a lottery go broke or bankrupt within a couple of years? And many of them have more problems afterwards. And many of them have committed suicide as well because they realized this didn't solve the problems within them. The relationship they have with money didn't change just by receiving more money. They got money without building the muscle to keep it. And being broke, when used the right way, builds that muscle. And that muscle lasts longer than any paycheck. So reason number two, Being broke teaches you resourcefulness. Before you receive riches, now you have to learn how to be resourceful. During that season. You have to learn how to overcome your fears and insecurities. You have to take courageous actions and fail over and over again to become more resourceful. But this is what that season teaches you. And if you just have the money, you'll just spend the money on problems and you won't be as resourceful. Reason number three, Being broke forces you to separate your worth from your wallet. Now, this one is huge. A lot of people think more money means more worth. Less money means less value. And that's just not the case. That belief will destroy you no matter how much you make or how much you're earning. When you're broke, you're forced to ask a hard question. Who am I without my money? Who am I without my money? Your character, your work ethic, your creativity, your heart, your expressiveness, your integrity. Are you your word? Who are you without money? It's a quote from Kyle Cease, who says, meditation gets me to understand that I'm the abundance, not money. When we can learn that we are abundance. Not having money makes me abundance, but actually our energy, our attitude, our mindset, our creativity, our ability to take risks, our ability to inspire, our ability to show up and set goals and be consistent and follow through. Those things develop the results of you being abundance. None of that disappears when your bank account is low. If you still have all those things, you develop that character, that integrity, that love, that passion. You are that already. That is your identity, not what's in your bank account. So you have so much worth inside of you right now. And if you don't learn this lesson early, you'll spend your life chasing money just to feel enough, just to feel like you made it, just to feel like you're good enough. And I'm telling you, that is an exhausting life to live. But money is a tool. It is not your identity. So stop putting all of your worth into what's in your wallet, please. That is the end of reason number three. Being broke forces you to separate your worth from your wallet.

B (14:34)

Number four, it's a big one. Being broke teaches you how to respect money. Now, Louis, what does this mean, respecting money? Why should I respect money? Money doesn't respect me. Well, when money is scarce, every dollar should have a job. And you pay attention. You become intentional. You stop wasting without realizing it. A lot of people want more money without learning how to manage what they already have, the money that's within them. And you may say, louis, well, I don't have much. I've only got about 50 bucks. I've got a few hundred bucks. I don't have much. But when you can learn to manage what you have and have a beautiful relationship with what you have, this is the hard thing. I go back to having a relationship with money. Louis, what does this mean? Money is transactional. Money is analytical. There is no relationship behind money. That's not true. When you think about money, you might have a couple of different responses. An emotional response. If someone hands you a million dollars right now, boom. You open up a briefcase, a million bucks. Most people would say that they would be thrilled, and there was no strings attached. You keep it. You don't have to pay taxes on this. Most people would be like, oh, my God, this is incredible. They would say, it's life changing. They would have this rush of adrenaline, this excitement, this joy. They start thinking about what they could spend it on. Or maybe they say, I'm broke. I don't want to spend on anything. I just want to put in the bank and just hoard it. Either way, you would have an emotional reaction if someone gave you a million dollars, or if someone said, I'm taking all the money you saved and everything you've earned, you have nothing now. Either way, you'd probably have an emotional relationship with that event. And it's normal to have that. Based on how you learn to manage money up until now, is that current relationship with it. It's not going to change. All of a sudden, if you get a million dollars or you lost a million dollars, it's only going to amplify that relationship. How you experience money now, that relationship you have with it now will be amplified. The more you make, the more you lose. Either way, it's about creating a healthy relationship with money. And the money you currently have is where you need to start in developing a different relationship. If you don't care for your money, your money won't care for you again. If you don't care for your money, your money won't care for you. And that relationship will feel broken in some ways, it'll feel out of alignment and being broke again. I did not like being broke. I didn't like living on my sister's couch for a year and a half, making no money, living off credit cards, living in debt. I didn't like it. But I look back at it fondly because it taught me my greatest lessons. Being broke can teach you discipline, priorities, delayed gratification, and those three things right there can set you up for the rest of your life. If you learn the skill of discipline, if you learn the skill of where to put my time attention into priorities, and if you learn how to delay gratification, not needing to buy things all the time just to make you feel better, but to being grateful for where you're at and living beneath your means, not overspending things, that is half the battle. That is it right there to having a successful financial story in your future. And here's the key. Those skills don't disappear when more money comes in. Because in that season of being broke and broken on my sister's couch and having very little money, I kept those lessons with me once the money started to come in. And I'm so grateful that I wasn't given a ton of money right away. I didn't earn a lot right away until I learned the lessons on how to manage money and how to have a better relationship with it when it came to me. Because those skills didn't disappear when more money came in for me. And it's not going to disappear for you. Those skills scale with you as your money grows. And that is a big, big lesson. End of reason number four. Being broke teaches you how to respect money and you've got to start respecting it and valuing it, but not putting all this extra attention or value on it, but having a healthy relationship with money. Reason number five, being broke actually clarifies what matters. When money is tight, you get clear pretty fast. You don't have the luxury of just chasing everything. You start asking real questions. What do I really need? Who Do I really trust in my life and what am I willing to work for? Clarity is a gift. And broke seasons. Strip away the noise, you get real clear, real fast what's important. The noise gets quieter, the distractions lose their power, the masks start to come off and everyone else is as well. You start to reveal yourself. You start focusing on what counts and that clarity becomes a compass for yourself. And when you start making more money later, you have more clarity with that as well. And that's a big thing. I love this quote from my friend Tim Sykes. He said, if you're unhappy out there, you'll need to think a little differently. Aside from just the money you can make, what can you do with your life? What is your life about? Tim Sykes has been a buddy for a long time and he teaches people how to trade in the stock market. And this guy has made millions of dollars trading in the stock market. And he's taught a lot of people how to make millions as well. But for years he lived a life, a fast lifestyle. He bought all the Lamborghinis, he had all the fancy homes, he was living the luxurious lifestyle. And something smacked him in the face where he woke up and said, what am I chasing all this for? Why am I needing all this external validation around money to feel worthy? He was really good at making money, but he didn't find meaning in making money outside of that. I talked about having him come on a trip with Pencils of Promise one time and learn about a charity where you give back, you serve, and you help kids with no school, helping them build schools and create education for them and in rural parts around the world. And I took him on a trip and one of the moments where we were at a site where a new school was built, all these kids rushed around him and were just so grateful to have some pencils, some paper and a building that they could go learn from. And that was a big wake up call for him. He got to see these kids just joyful, just happy to be able to go to school and have an opportunity to learn. And he has gone off and done an incredible job giving millions every year to different charities in his own charity as well, and really finding purpose in why he's making money outside of just buying luxurious things which he no longer even owns a car. I don't think he's just giving and serving and, and finding ways to use his skill set to add more value to the world. And it's a beautiful thing that I've got to witness. And what he's been Able to do over these last seven, eight years of giving and giving and transforming his relationship with money. One from him becoming rich and wealthy to how can I enrich other people with my wealth as well? And at a broke season, I'm not saying I want you to have a broke season, but if you are going through a season right now where you feel, man, money's been tough, this season can teach you that a rich life isn't just about having more money. It's about alignment, it's about peace. It's about living a life on purpose for you, what makes sense for you, not just about making a living. Only now, again, when you're broke and you're struggling financially, it's hard to be thinking about others because you're like, I'm living day by day here. I'm living week by week. I can't think about helping others. And I get that. So there's seasons of time where you do need to put that attention on yourself and find ways to generate money and find ways to earn and find ways to live beneath your means and find ways to be resourceful and find ways to get creative and develop skills that might be your season right now. And it's tough. I know it's tough. It's demanding. It can feel humiliating and embarrassing. It can feel shameful and not enough. But if we can just start to shift energy within you to say, I don't like this season right now, but I'm going to overcome it. I'm going to develop something greater. You know, frustration and sadness can lead you to the greatest breakthroughs of your life if you act on them. Don't stay stuck in that energy. Act on them and say, who's the mentor? Where's the book I need to read? What's the skill I need to master? What's something I feel like I could go learn and overcome a fear that'll make me more resourceful to generate more revenue. And then here's what I can tell you. Having a negative attitude, feeling stuck in scarcity, saying, why is a problem always happening to me? That mindset will not make you financially free or emotionally free. So it's shifting the energy around your mindset. First of saying, what can I control today? What can I learn today? How can I be a generous person with my time or energy? How can I show up with a smile and gratitude on my face? Because gratitude and generosity are the gateway to abundance. So how can I just be thankful for today? How can I be grateful to people that are offering me something today? How can I show up and just act a little differently? So I'm not in scarcity and I'm thinking more about abundance. That is end of reason number five. Being broke clarifies what actually matters. Electrolytes aren't just for athletes or summer workouts.

B (27:21)

Now, I want to reframe something for you. Let me be extremely clear because Some of you might be excited about this, and you might say, I'm pissed at this right now. Louis, this is not about staying broke. If you feel like you're struggling financially right now, I want you to get out of it as quick as possible. And a mentor early on told me a powerful lesson. A painful one, but a powerful one. And I'm going to say it to you right now because I feel like this might speak to you. I was struggling. I was working an internship, making a few hundred bucks. At this point, maybe a year into my sister's couch, I was hustling. I was trying to learn skills. I was trying to do public speaking every single week. I was trying to learn about online marketing. I was, like, doing all these things and developing skills, but I wasn't seeing the fruit of it yet. I wasn't seeing the results come in yet. And I was walking with a mentor that I would walk with once a week. I was doing, like, an internship with him, so I was getting paid a few hundred bucks a month, but I was mostly learning and working at the same time. He would take me on a walk every week and say, ask me anything you want. And one of the questions I said is, man, I'm really struggling with trying to find ways to make money right now. It's really hard, and I've been grinding for the last year, and it's still not. Still not coming yet. He said to me, money comes to you when you're ready for it. And I was like, man, I feel pretty ready. I feel really ready to make some money right now. And he goes, money comes to you when you're ready for it. And if you get money too soon when you're not ready for it, you're going to sabotage it. You're going to make mistakes, you're going to go broke again, and the money's going to leave you. And at the time, I was just like, yeah, but that doesn't make sense to me because I'm broke, and I need money. So all this philosophy about relationship with money and your mindset around money, I'm like, I just need it. It feels like oxygen that I didn't have, and I needed to breathe. That's how it felt. But something stuck with me when he said that also. And I was like, okay, I'm just gonna have to trust that I need to keep learning. I need to keep developing. I need to keep rewriting the money story. I need to keep reinforcing different beliefs by implementing those beliefs, by acting on them, by taking these Actions daily. And eventually it'll come. Now, fast forward maybe about a year and a half later. After that moment, money started to come, and it started to come pretty quickly. So it took about a year and a half, and still I maybe was making $1,500 to $2,000 a month. But then something clicked. It was like I was just taking action daily, daily, daily. And after a couple years in, boom, like, a big chunk of money came because I took a big action in front of a big audience, and I took a risk, and boom, a flood of money came. And it's almost like it unlocked. I was just like, What? It was $6,200 that entered my bank account within a moment. And it was like, this is more money than I've made my entire life is what it felt like. And I felt like I was the richest person in the world with $6200 instantly in my account. And it just like, boom, it expanded my capacity to think about what was possible. And I was like, wow, if I was able to do this in an hour by giving a presentation and making an offer and selling something and make $6,200 in an hour, I could do this every day for the rest of my life, right? I was so excited. Now, that was after a year and a half, almost two years of practicing, of acting, of developing skills, of public speaking training, of online marketing training, of, like, actually doing the actions, not just thinking, I need money to come to me and it comes to me, but acting daily, overcoming myself, overcoming my fear, overcoming my limitations, and going all in. And then, boom, it came to me. And the moment it came to me, I was like, oh, it was like the Matrix. It was like, I know how to make money. It was like it finally clicked. There is a language around making money. There is a feeling, an energy. And it finally was like, oh, I know kung fu. I know how to make money. And now I can repeat this again and again and again. And that's what I did for years. I just kept repeating it, developing new skills. So I'm not telling you that I want you to be broke right now or I want you to be in a season of brokenness or that you should be happy that you're in this season of brokeness. If you're dealing with this right now, this is not about staying broke. This is not about romanticizing the struggle of being broke on your sister's couch and like, oh, this is the great time right now. Like, I look back at it as a beautiful season of my life, but I'LL tell you what, when I was in it, I wanted to get out of it as quick as possible. I wanted to make money as fast as possible and get out of it. But I look back at it now on like, wow, man, that was the most challenging financial time. And thank God that I had the courage to take actions to give me skills and resourcefulness and build relationships and build a network and build a brand and create content and write books. Like, I took so many actions that now give me the ability to generate money. Now this is not about romanticizing living.

B (35:17)

Being broke is not a failure. It's a classroom. And if you pay attention, it will teach you some important things. It will teach you how to think differently about money, how to build skills, how to value yourself, how to respect wealth without worshiping it. It'll teach you how to appreciate other people's success first before you get there, instead of being frustrated about them. And money gets easier when your relationship with money gets healthier. Now you might be thinking, what is this again, Louis? A relationship with money. This is everything I talk about in my book, Make Money Easy. If you want to make money easier in your life, you have to have a healthy relationship with it. That means you have to be thinking about money and feeling about money differently. You need to be experiencing it differently. You need to have a different internal dialogue around money. And here's an exercise for you. If money was a person and it represented an unlimited amount of money in a person, and that person walked in the door and stood in front of you right now, and this person was just the symbol of unlimited money, and they walked into the door and they said hi to you, how would it make you feel? Would you get excited? Would you run and hide away? Would you act weird? Would you hate money? How would you feel if money were a person and then you had to have a relationship with it? That's probably the relationship you have with money inside of you. When you see it, when you receive it, when you spend it, all these different things. And sometimes the fastest way to build a rich life is to let a broke season make you wise. First, again, make money easy, Create financial freedom and live a richer life. Because having money is not about creating financial security. Having money should be a season where you enrich your life with more options. But I'm telling you, I know a lot of people who have a lot of money who are not fulfilled and happy. It solves money problems, but it does not solve the internal problems that people have within themselves. And I want you to have both. I want you to have money. So you can be financially free and secure and have savings and investments and feel like you are taken care of over the next six to 12 months or hopefully the rest of your lifetime. I want you to have as much money as you want, but money amplifies who you are in the relationship you have with yourself. So I want you to have money, I want you to be able to make money, and I want you to feel good about it as well. I don't want it to stress you out more. I don't want it to make you feel exhausted. I don't want to make you feel like you're not ready for it. So I want you to comment below. What lesson has money taught you the hard way? Have you had any hard money lessons? Please share below what that is, because I want everyone here to thrive. I want you to thrive. Money is meant to support you, to serve your highest self. It's not meant to control you. And if it's controlling you right now, then it's holding you back and we need to start thinking about things differently. Make sure to get a copy of Make Money Easy right now. Give a copy to a friend who might be looking for ways to optimize their relationship with money and their financial freedom around money. And I want to remind you, if no one's told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter, and this is an opportunity for you to start living a greater life today. What is your thoughts around the identity of money and the psychology of how we. How it plays in our lives? Because a lot of people want to make more, they want to attract more, but they're just struggling with just the concept.

E (45:23)

Right, because that's what it's going to take to pay off that house, right? So now one point of consciousness, I'm here. The other point of consciousness is where I'm placing my dream. So I'm in separate from that experience. So then how do I get to that experience? In three dimensional reality, you got to get up and you got to do something, you got to go to work, you got to drive to work, it takes energy, you got to fill your car with gas, you got to eat food, you got to work, you know, all this stuff, you got to sleep, you got to recover if there's stress. And now people are in a sense waiting for the experience that's 10 years down the road or 30 years down the road to happen, to take away the lack of them not having it. And unfortunately, many times when the experience finally occurs, they can't enjoy it because they're too exhausted, right? So then, so you play the game, you go to school, you study really hard, or you study on your own, you develop some skills, you make the right choices, you start saving money, you start learning from your mistakes, and then the game is how many things can you accumulate? And that accumulation then you associate with being wealthy or being abundant or being successful. Some people get really good at it, you can get really good at that. But for the most part though, when we create from three dimensional reality, we're creating from lack and separation. In other words, you're driving down the road and you see someone driving a car that all of a sudden you realize that you don't have. The moment you become aware that that person has that car and you don't have it, you're in lack of, of having it, right? So what the brain naturally does is it naturally creates you driving that car and you have an image of yourself driving that car and you start identifying, wow, that would be a greater experience for me to have. The problem is the distance between the thought of what you want and the experience of actually happening for most people is the concept called time between cause and effect, right? So some people develop the ability to manage themselves and manage their life. They've up certain skills and they can pay for it and they can get it very quickly. The problem is when the novelty of that experience wears off, you know, the car and they're no longer identifying with that, and the feeling of emptiness and lack comes back.